On Monday, Oct. 6, Hamline’s Homecoming week kicked off with a fair on campus. The Carnival took place right between Alumni Way and Miller Plaza, drawing in crowds with the smell of yummy food, good music and the laughter generated from fun games!

One of the games visitors to the Homecoming Fair encountered was a Minnesota classic: the age old tradition of cornhole. Each of the two cornhole setups had large crowds surrounding it, with many people waiting in line to take their turn. Sometimes all that’s needed to have a good time is some wooden planks, bean bags and friends.

Classic games were not the only fun activities found at the fair. In the center of the festivities was a booth with targets and laser pistols. The laser pistols kept track of player scores as the lasers hit the targets, so participants could try to get a high score, compete against each other or just blast away for the fun of it.

After all the excitement and challenge of the several activities at the Homecoming fair, people are bound to work up an appetite, a problem that is quickly solved at the concession stand. The first treat to greet fairgoers is a freezer full of ice cream. From chocolate covered ice cream cones to strawberry sherbet, there was a frozen confection for nearly every flavor palette, with a health warning for ice cream with nuts, of course.

The next snack on the track was the fair classic of cotton candy and popcorn. While the cotton candy did come in prepackaged bags, the popcorn popped fresh, with some of the paper bags they were housed in still warm to the touch.

Last, but certainly not least, was the beverage station that housed lemonade with real lemon wedges, fresh iced tea and delicious boba, all of which could be customized with flavored syrups.

In just two hours, the Homecoming Fair was filled with crowds, excitement and fun. If this event is any indication of how the rest of the Fall semester is going to go, then we are looking forward to a very adventurous semester!

This was one of the first events of the homecoming week, getting students excited for the rest of the events ahead. A huge gratitude to the homecoming committee that helped make all of this possible, and to all Pipers, both returning and new; welcome home!